Inclusion and SEND

Together we Flourish | Aspire • Belong • Care

Every Child Belongs. Every Child Can Flourish.

At Winford Church of England Primary School, we believe that every child is unique, valued and capable of achieving great things.

Our Christian vision, Together we Flourish, reflects our commitment to providing an inclusive, nurturing and ambitious education for all children, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Our school values guide our approach:

Aspire – We have high expectations for every child and support them to achieve their individual potential.
Belong – We want every child to feel welcomed, included and an important part of our school community.
Care – We recognise individual needs, listen carefully and provide thoughtful, personalised support.

We recognise that children develop and learn in different ways. Our aim is to identify needs early, remove barriers to learning and ensure that every child can participate meaningfully in school life.

Our Approach to Inclusion

Inclusion is everyone's responsibility at Winford.

We believe that children with SEND should have access to a broad, balanced and ambitious curriculum, alongside their peers wherever appropriate.

Our approach is built around:

High-quality, inclusive classroom teaching.
Early identification of additional needs.
Appropriate adaptations to teaching and learning.
Targeted interventions where additional support is needed.
Strong partnerships with children, parents and carers.
Regular review of provision and progress.
Working with external professionals when specialist advice is required.

We focus on children's strengths as well as their needs, helping them develop confidence, independence, resilience and positive relationships.

What Are Special Educational Needs and Disabilities?

Children may have special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty or disability that calls for special educational provision to be made for them.

SEND can include needs relating to four broad areas:

Communication and Interaction
For example, speech and language difficulties or differences in social communication.

Cognition and Learning
For example, difficulties with literacy, numeracy, memory or processing information.

Social, Emotional and Mental Health
For example, difficulties with emotional regulation, anxiety or managing relationships.

Sensory and/or Physical Needs
For example, hearing or visual impairments, physical disabilities or sensory processing differences.

Some children have needs across more than one area. We recognise that every child's experience is individual and that support should be planned around their particular strengths and needs.

Identifying and Supporting Additional Needs

Class teachers are responsible for the progress, learning and wellbeing of every child in their class, including pupils with SEND.

Teachers continually assess children's learning and development, adapting their teaching to meet different needs.

If a child is experiencing difficulties, we work with families to understand what may be affecting their learning and consider the support that would be most helpful.

We follow the graduated approach, often described as:

Assess – Plan – Do – Review

Assess
We identify the child's strengths, needs and barriers to learning, drawing on assessments, observations and the views of the child and family.

Plan
We agree clear, achievable outcomes and the strategies or additional provision needed.

Do
Teachers and Learning Partners implement the agreed support, with the class teacher retaining responsibility for the child's learning.

Review
We evaluate the impact of support, consider the child's progress and agree next steps with parents and carers.

This cycle helps us ensure that support is purposeful, regularly reviewed and responsive to children's changing needs.

Our Learning Partner Approach

At Winford, our support staff are known as Learning Partners.

Our Learning Partners work alongside teachers to help children access learning, develop independence and achieve their individual goals.

Rather than relying solely on fixed adult support, our approach allows us to deploy staff flexibly according to children's needs, the learning taking place and the support identified in individual plans.

This may include:

Supporting learning within the classroom.
Working with small groups.
Delivering structured interventions.
Supporting communication and social interaction.
Helping children develop emotional regulation and independence.
Providing individual support where this is required.

Our aim is always to help children become increasingly confident, capable and independent learners, while ensuring that the support specified in individual plans and Education, Health and Care Plans is provided.

Our Intervention and Support Offer

We recognise that children sometimes need additional opportunities to practise skills, develop confidence or overcome barriers.

Our developing intervention offer includes support for both learning and social and emotional development.

Learning Interventions

Depending on identified needs, children may receive additional support with:

Phonics and early reading.
Reading fluency and comprehension.
Spelling and handwriting.
Mathematics and number understanding.
Other specific areas of learning.

These interventions are carefully planned and reviewed to ensure that they support progress in the classroom.

Social, Emotional and Mental Health Support

We understand that children learn best when they feel safe, connected and emotionally supported.

Our provision includes approaches such as:

Zones of Regulation.
Nurture and pastoral support.
Brick by Brick and other structured social development activities.
Individual emotional regulation strategies.
Support for friendships and social interaction.
Access to calm and supportive spaces, including the Snug and the Ark.

We also work with the Mental Health Support Team (MHST) and other professionals where appropriate.

Our Alternative Curriculum

For some children, particularly those with more complex needs, a carefully planned alternative or adapted curriculum may help them develop the skills they need to succeed.

At Winford, we are developing a practical, nurturing and purposeful alternative curriculum that complements classroom learning.

Activities may include:

Forest Activities and outdoor learning.
Gardening and growing.
Cooking and food preparation.
Creative activities.
Sensory activities, movement and relaxation.

These experiences are not simply opportunities to spend time outside the classroom. They are planned to develop individual learning outcomes, such as communication, independence, social skills, emotional regulation, resilience and practical literacy and mathematics.

We aim to maintain children's connection with their class and wider school community, supporting access to classroom learning wherever appropriate.

Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs)

Some children have more complex needs that require additional support through an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

An EHCP is a statutory document that describes a child's needs, the outcomes they are working towards and the special educational provision required.

We work closely with families, the local authority and relevant professionals to ensure that provision is planned, delivered and reviewed appropriately.

Children with EHCPs have regular reviews, including a statutory Annual Review, to consider their progress and whether their needs and provision have changed.

Working in Partnership with Parents and Carers

We believe that parents and carers are essential partners in supporting children with SEND.

You know your child better than anyone, and your knowledge and experiences help us understand their needs and plan effective support.

We aim to:

Listen carefully to families' views and concerns.
Involve parents and carers in decisions about support.
Share information about children's progress.
Review support together.
Celebrate achievements, including small but significant steps forward.
Work collaboratively when difficulties arise.

We also value children's own views and seek to involve them in decisions about their learning and support in ways that are appropriate to their age and understanding.

Who Should I Speak To?

If you have concerns about your child's learning, development or wellbeing, your child's class teacher is usually the best first point of contact.

You can also arrange a meeting with our Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO).

Our SENCO

Ms Pauline Adams – Special Educational Needs Coordinator

Pauline oversees and coordinates SEND provision across Winford Church of England Primary School.

She works closely with class teachers, Learning Partners, school leaders, families and external professionals to ensure that children receive appropriate support.

Her responsibilities include:

Supporting the identification and assessment of SEND.
Advising staff on appropriate strategies and provision.
Overseeing the graduated approach and SEND support plans.
Working with parents and carers.
Coordinating specialist advice and external agency involvement.
Overseeing provision for children with EHCPs.
Supporting statutory reviews and relevant assessments.
Contributing to staff training and the development of inclusive practice.

Meetings with Pauline can be arranged through the school office.

Telephone: 01275 472730
Email: office@winfordprimary.com

Working with External Professionals

Where additional expertise is needed, we work with a range of education, health and specialist services.

Depending on a child's needs, these may include:

Educational psychologists.
Speech and language therapists.
Occupational therapists and physiotherapists.
Specialist SEND teachers and advisory services.
School nursing and health professionals.
Mental Health Support Team practitioners.
Local authority SEND teams.
Lighthouse Schools Partnership specialist staff.

We involve parents and carers in discussions about referrals and specialist support, and work together to put relevant recommendations into practice.

Accessibility and Equal Opportunities

We are committed to ensuring that children with disabilities can participate fully in school life.

We consider accessibility across our learning environments, curriculum, communication and wider school activities.

Reasonable adjustments are made where required to help children access learning and participate alongside their peers.

SEND Information, Policies and Reports

The following documents provide more detailed information about our SEND arrangements:

Winford SEND Information Report – How we identify, support and review provision for pupils with SEND.

The following documents can be found on our Policies and Documents Page:

Lighthouse Schools Partnership SEND Policy – The Trust's approach to SEND.
Winford Accessibility Plan – Our approach to improving accessibility.
Equality Information and Objectives – Our commitment to equality and inclusion.

Local SEND Support and Information

Families can also access information, advice and support through their local authority and independent organisations.

Local Authority SEND Local Offers

Independent SEND Advice

SEND and You (SENDIAS) provides free, impartial information, advice and support to children, young people and families in North Somerset, Bristol and South Gloucestershire.

Visit SEND and You

B&NES SENDIAS

Parent Carer Support

SEND Resources and Information

Our SENCO has also developed an online noticeboard containing a range of useful resources and links for families.

Visit our SENCO Resource Padlet

Some services and resources may have eligibility or geographical restrictions.

Contact Us

If you would like to discuss your child's needs, ask a question about SEND provision or arrange a meeting with our SENCO, please contact the school office.

Winford Church of England Primary School
Felton Lane, Winford, Bristol BS40 8AD